1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lancashire folk group of the seventies, April 4, 2005
This review is from: Very Best of (Audio CD)
Although they never had any hits, the Fivepenny Piece acquired plenty of fans in the seventies, particularly via their appearances on television. Many of their songs provided amusing insights into Lancashire life but some of their songs were slightly silly so critics scorned them. As we all know, the critics do not always reflect the views of the public, many of whom enjoyed their fun songs as well as their more serious stuff.
The group comprised Lynda Meeks (vocals), John Meeks (guitar and vocals), Colin Radcliffe (electric guitar and harmonica), George Radcliffe (bass guitar) and Eddie Crotty (12-string acoustic guitar and vocal). Additional musicians were employed on some tracks.
The best example of the serious side of Fivepenny Piece is King Cotton. This song tells the story of the cotton industry, which came to Lancashire, making a few owners rich while providing plenty of people with jobs although it didn't treat them kindly. Eventually, King Cotton moved to foreign lands leaving a legacy of empty mills and unskilled workers doing even more tedious jobs.
If their music were made up entirely of such serious songs, they might please the critics but I doubt if they would have been popular. So the Fivepenny Piece sing about all aspects of Lancashire life - the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, the serious and the funny. Obviously, this will have particular appeal to Lancastrians but most people will be able to relate to the songs in some way - many of the stories have universal appeal. For example, the basic story of King Cotton is also the story of mining, shipbuilding and many other traditional industries.
Whether this compilation is truly the best of their music is a moot point. It is certainly representative. I have six of their vinyl albums and I know there was at least one other. Some of my favorite tracks are here and some aren't but this is the only CD compilation I've seen, although it has been repackaged with different artwork. If you want a CD of their music, this is all there is. If you want more, you have to track down their vinyl albums or hope that a record label will release more of their music on CD.
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